Joint Health Scrutiny Committee calls for meeting with Secretary of State

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin has escalated its concerns about ongoing performance issues at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) by writing to the Secretary of State for Health and Care, Wes Streeting.

The committee is requesting a meeting with Mr Streeting and local health leaders to discuss the challenges and explore sustainable solutions.

The move follows a series of concerning reports and inspections, including consecutive "inadequate" ratings from the Care Quality Commission and a Channel 4 Dispatches program that highlighted serious issues at the trust. The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee has also emphasised the importance of patient experiences in driving the call for action.

"The work done by this committee over many years, and most recently following the May 2024 Care Quality Commission report and the C4 Dispatches Programme, have identified ongoing issues that must be addressed to deliver improved services and outcomes for patients," said Councillor Geoff Elner, Joint Chair of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Fiona Doran, also Joint Chair, added, "Writing to the Secretary of State is the natural progression for the committee. We’ve heard his ambition and plan for the NHS and we would like to invite him to work with us and our health and care system here in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, to achieve positive and sustainable improvements for our communities.”

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, comprised of councillors from both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin councils, along with health system experts, has been scrutinising SaTH's performance for some time. They express concern that previous interventions have not yielded lasting improvements. The committee acknowledges the pressures on the local health system and the wider NHS but believes a collaborative, system-wide approach is crucial for addressing the current challenges.

"We believe that the different actions that have been taken over the past decade have not realised the lasting improvements that were expected," stated Councillors Elner and Doran in a joint statement. "We recognise that it is a locally challenged health and care system within a nationally broken NHS, as described by the SOS, and we want to work with the NHS locally to make improvements and get the support it needs to make it happen."

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee's focus is shifting towards community health services and their integration with the Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. They emphasise the value of patient feedback and work closely with Healthwatch Shropshire and Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin, whose representatives are co-opted members of the committee.

Healthwatch Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin have voiced their support for the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee's efforts, echoing concerns about the quality of care at SaTH. They are urging individuals with experiences at the trust to contact their local Healthwatch organisations to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the situation.

"We support the work of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, share concerns cited in the letter to the SOS and welcome the work Healthwatch England is doing… in their call for an end to treating patients in corridors and other inappropriate spaces," they stated. They are also actively collecting patient stories to ensure their voices are heard at the highest levels.

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee's letter to the Secretary of State, shared with local MPs, will be published alongside the agenda for their meeting on February 10, 2025.

The committee awaits a response from Mr Streeting and hopes to begin a new phase of collaborative work to improve healthcare services for the residents of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.